Arianna Doverspeak
Class: Cleric 4/Crusader 1/Ruby Knight Vindicator 5 Template: Saint (BoED) LA +2 Role: Front Line Combatant Personality: Very intense, her passions and emotions burn hot and fast. Her temper, while often held back, can burst out in short gasps before she can get it under reign. She demands perfection and loyalty from herself and those around her. Banne is highly ambitious, but actively tamps down her urges to grab power with duties and responsibility. Even if an opportunity for personal advancement is offered her, she will first try to examine the consequences her choices and promotions will have. Banne is enamored with fire, and often enjoys setting parts of her equipment ablaze for intimidation tactics. A flaming sword is her preferred method, though she has once applied slow-burning oil to her gauntlets and set them on fire before pummeling a murderer hiding in her home village to death. Background: There was a great fire that threatened to consume a village within Alexandria's borders. It had been started by a band of raiders as they fled from the kingdom's troops to try and delay them. Banne was the village priestess who also doubled as the village defender. She couldn't stop the dozens-strong war party alone, but as the raiders set fire to her people's homes, she mustered together an impromptu militia to evacuate the remaining civilians. On their way out, some of the robbers stayed behind to loot the homes as they emptied. Banne led the charge alone, her own blade skills augmented by faithful magic. She tore through burning buildings- sometimes literally crashing through the smoldering wood and hay walls with her sword held high. The five bandits who lingered were terrified by her brazen display of ferocity, and soon felt the bite of her blade. They managed to stick her several times with their serrated blades, but even in the middle of the fight her wounds sealed themselves. One by one, their limbs and heads were detached from their bodies. Her own body suffered burns and disfigurement from her wounds, and though her magic stopped them from bleeding, it was all to obvious that she had been marred by battle. As the royal war party reached the village, she hurriedly directed them after the bandits, but stayed behind to tend to the village. As the smoke began to clear, the true extent of the damage became evident. About a quarter of the township's homes had been torched, including part of the town hall. Working day and night for close to a month, Banne resettled and reconstructed the ruined buildings. It was some time before an envoy from the Stormguard came by. When they did, they made her an offer- join the Stormguard, and the village would receive a replacement guard and resources from the city. It was a tough decision, but the promise of having her village supported in her absence was comforting. And the thought of joining the Stormguard, the elite warriors in Alexandria, was too good to pass up. Banne was given the chance to improve her physical and mental prowess, and reach new heights of glory. So long as her temper didn't burn down too many bridges on her way to the top. Her actions in the village also drew the attention of her fellow Followers of the Dancing Flame, Burgundl. While there was no official Church or hierarchy, all who worshipped the flame god were connected. They felt the intense burst of passion that she exhibited in the defense of her home, and when word spread to their ears they decided to gather and honor her. The most noble Follower, and one held to be their superior, was a Red Half-Dragon by the name of Hexyl'vinnis. He struggled with his ferocious heritage and manifested his struggle with beautiful flaming dances, his red scales gleaming in the light of his own fire breath. They held a celebration in Banne's honor, carefully scorching a circle in the middle of an unoccupied field to prevent a wildfire during their revelry. A dozen Followers of the Dancing Flame were gathered there, to dance and burn. Banne was already scarred from her battle against the raiders in the village, with burns covering her face and arms. Now they were re-opened as she shed her clothes and danced in Hexyl'vinnis' fiery breath. As the red glow surrounded her, she found the heat more and more tolerable. At one point, she noticed her fellow followers had stopped their own dancing and had been staring at her. As she looked down, she saw flames pouring out of her own flesh. Her wrists, neck and feet were all smoldering, but she felt no pain. Above her, a ring of fire began to circle her head and spin rapidly. From the flame rose an image of Burgundl, all embers and coal. It said nothing, merely looked around the congregation and then sank back down into Banne's body. The fires extinguished, save for a blazing white cherry over her heart. She was declared a Saint by her fellows, though there was no official status to go with the title. She knows herself to be one of Burgundl's favored, and she will do everything in her power to further his goals and spread the raging, purifying flame of His divinity. Category:Humans